PSU captures ECAC New England Mens Lacrosse Championship

May 13, 2007

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Plymouth State University
captured its first Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III
New England Men's Lacrosse championship Sunday afternoon, rallying
from three goals down late in the third quarter with a furious
eight-goal explosion, taking the championship away from Roger
Williams University, 10-7, before a rowdy crowd at Panther Field.

The second-seeded Hawks kept PSU scoreless for more than 26
minutes in the middle two quarters, had a 5-2 lead over the
top-seeded Panthers late in the third frame, and had a
man-advantage as a PSU defender was serving a penalty. Plymouth
State came alive, however, scoring two short-handed goals in the
final minute of the third period and taking the momentum into the
fourth quarter. After the teams traded goals to open the final
stanza, PSU rattled off five unanswered goals over the next eight
minutes, the last one giving the home team an insurmountable 10-6
lead with 3:05 remaining.

Freshman Wes Downing (Glastonbury, Conn.) and
junior Adam Krinsky (Concord, N.H.) led the
Panther comeback, Downing scoring three goals and setting up
another in the rally and Krinsky adding two goals and an assist.
Downing, who also scored two goals in Saturday's semifinal win over
MIT, including the double-overtime game-winner, was named the
tournament's Most Valuable Player (pictured at right, with ECAC
Rep Katie Fulton).

Also key to PSU's win was the play of senior goalie
Steve Valeri (Chelmsford, Mass.). He finished with
18 saves and five ground balls, and several of his six stops in the
fourth quarter were from point blank range.

The Plymouth State rally spoiled an outstanding offensive
performance by Roger Williams sophomore Joe Healy (Port Jefferson
Station, N.Y.), who nearly single-handedly defeated the Panthers.
He scored the Hawks' first four goals of the game and was mostly
responsible for the visitors holding a 5-2 lead late in the third
quarter.

The first half was a defensive affair, with neither team able to
generate much offense. Freshman Tim Hadley (New
London, N.H.) scored the only goal of the first quarter to give the
home team the lead. Healy put the Hawks on the board early in the
second frame, but sophomore Conor McCullough
(Durham, N.H.) answered for PSU 15 seconds later. Healy added two
more goals before the end of the half to allow RWU to come back for
a 3-2 advantage at the intermission.

Healy's fourth goal of the game and the first by junior Slade
Patterson (Needham, Mass.) in the first three minutes of the third
quarter staked the visitors to a 5-2 lead. Patterson would add his
second goal in the final minute of the game.

The Panthers started their comeback with short-handed goals by
Downing and Krinsky to end the third quarter, and Krinsky's second
goal early in the fourth period tied the game at 5-5. Sophomore Joe
Paratore (Deer Park, N.Y.) briefly gave the Hawks the lead back,
with an assist from Healy, but over the next eight minutes PSU had
all the momentum as Downing and junior Tony Aguiar
(Northborough, Mass.) each scored twice and senior Kyle
McKay (Longmeadow, Mass.) added one. The Panthers went up
by four with three minutes left and Valeri thwarted any possible
Hawk comeback.

The championship is Plymouth State's first in five visits to the
ECAC New England Tournament. The Panthers, who finish the season
with an 11-6 record, lost in the title game at Western New England
College in 2005. RWU completes its season at 8-7.